The Woman's Exchange Movement (or Women's Exchange Movement) refers to a system of benevolent consignment stores, usually established and managed by women, to benefit women. A number of them are members of the Federation of Woman's Exchanges (1934), which is still active.
Background The Woman's Exchange Movement in the United States dates to 1832, with the establishment of the Philadelphia Ladies' Depository.
Exchanges are non-profit establishments. In the 19th century they were mainly set up by philanthropic women, providing a setting for women to sell their embroidery, sewing, and fancywork. This allowed women to earn a living without working outside their homes. Initially, the exchanges in Philadelphia and New Brunswick appear to have catered for women who had seen better days and had now become self-supporting. At the time it was socially unacceptable for "genteel women" to work and the Women's Exchanges allowed them to sell their work anonymously. The managers and organizers of the exchanges added to their philanthropic status. These women were also able to use their entrepreneurial skills in a socially acceptable way.
Many exchanges added tearooms and lunchrooms, which provided more revenue and became fashionable meeting places for upper-class women. While almost all the exchanges were unsuccessful as businesses, they nevertheless set high standards for the items they accepted, charging a commission of only 10 percent on sales. Consumers were therefore able to benefit from an interesting selection of hand-made articles at interesting prices.
While many depositories and exchanges were local or regional operations, the Federation of Woman's Exchanges was established in 1934 and is still active. While the Woman's Exchange Movement continued through the twentieth century and some exchanges are still in business, the movement has faded, due to a changing work force, rising rents, and a resistance to high-priced, hand-made merchandise.
Select list of 19th-century Women's Exchanges A table of Woman's Exchanges from 1832 through 1891 compiled from the 1891 publication Directory of Exchanges for Woman's Work and other sources.
Name City State Year founded Woman's Exchange Albany New York 1881 Woman's Industrial Exchange Atchison Kansas 1888 Woman's Exchange Augusta Georgia 1888 Woman's Industrial Exchange Baltimore Maryland 1880 Women's Educational and Industrial Union Boston Massachusetts 1880 Exchange for Woman's Work Bridgeport Connecticut 1887 Exchange for Woman's Work Bristol Rhode Island 1885 Brooklyn Female Employment Society Brooklyn New York 1854 Woman's Exchange Buffalo New York 1886 Exchange for Woman's Work Charleston South Carolina 1885 Exchange for Woman's Work Charlottesville Virginia 1888 Exchange for Woman's of Work Chicago Chicago Illinois 1879 Cincinnati Ladies' Depository Cincinnati Ohio 1868 Woman's Exchange Cincinnati Ohio 1883 Woman's Exchange Cleveland Ohio 1890 Woman's Exchange Columbus Ohio 1885 Woman's Exchange Decatur Illinois 1889 Woman's Exchange Denver Colorado 1886 Exchange for Woman's Work Detroit Michigan 1889 Exchange for Woman's Work Duluth Minnesota 1889 Woman's Exchange Elizabeth New Jersey 1887 Woman's Work Exchange Englewood New Jersey 1884 United Workers and Woman's Exchange Hartford Connecticut 1888 Woman's Exchange Houston Texas 1887 Woman's Exchange Jackson Illinois 1891 Woman's Exchange Lancaster Pennsylvania 1885 Woman's Exchange Lexington Kentucky 1885 Woman's Exchange Little Rock Arkansas 1887 Woman's Industrial Exchange Los Angeles California 1887 Woman's Exchange Louisville Kentucky 1885 Woman's Exchange Lynchburg Virginia 1890 Woman's Exchange Madison Wisconsin 1887 Exchange for Woman's Work Memphis Tennessee 1887 Woman's Industrial Exchange Milwaukee Wisconsin 1882 Women's Work and Art Exchange Morristown New Jersey 1885 Woman's Exchange Mount Vernon New York 1888 Depository of the Union for Good Works New Bedford Massachusetts 1881 Woman's Depository and Exchange New Brunswick New Jersey 1856Christian Woman's Exchange New Orleans Louisiana 1881 Exchange for Woman's Work New York New York 1878 Madison Avenue Depository and Exchange for Woman's Work New York New York 1886 Harlem Exchange for Woman's Work New York New York 1888 Exchange for Woman's Work Newark New Jersey 1881 Woman's Exchange Newport Rhode Island 1887 Woman's Work Exchange Norfolk Virginia 1884 Exchange for Woman's Work Northampton Massachusetts 1888 Woman's Exchange Oshkosh Wisconsin 1890 Philadelphia Ladies' Depository Philadelphia Pennsylvania 1832 Exchange for Woman's Work Philadelphia Pennsylvania 1888 Pittsburgh Ladies' Depository Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 1873 Woman's Industrial Exchange Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 1886 Woman's Exchange Plainfield New Jersey 1889 Rhode Island Exchange for Woman's Work Providence Rhode Island 1881 Exchange for Woman's Work Richmond Virginia 1883 Rochester Art Exchange Rochester New York 1880 Woman's Work Exchange San Antonio Texas 1890 Woman's Industrial Exchange San Diego California 1887 Woman's Exchange San Francisco California 1885 Woman's Industrial Exchange Santa Barbara California 1890 Woman's Exchange Springfield Illinois 1886 Woman's Exchange St. Joseph Missouri 1886 St. Louis Ladies' Depository St. Louis Missouri 1879 Woman's Exchange St. Louis Missouri 1883 Woman's Work Exchange St. Paul Minnesota 1882 Exchange for Woman's Work Stamford Connecticut 1885 Exchange for Woman's Work Staunton Virginia 1890 Ladies' Exchange Topeka Kansas 1889 Woman's Exchange Troy New York 1887 Woman's Exchange Utica New York 1888 Woman's Exchange Washington, DC 1890 Woman's Exchange Waterbury Connecticut 1890 Woman's Exchange Wichita Kansas 1889
Prominent women in the Exchange Movement
Louisa May Alcott, founder of the Women's Educational and Industrial Union, Boston Sara Dary Armbruster, founder of the Woman's Exchange, Philadelphia Margaret W. Bartlett, founder of the Christian Woman's Exchange, New Orleans Ida Wikoff Baker, first president of the Woman's Exchange, Decatur, Illinois Mrs. G. Harmon Brown, founder of the Woman's Industrial Exchange, Baltimore Mary Atwater Choate, founder of the New York Exchange for Women's Work Harriet Clisby, founder of the Women's Educational and Industrial Union, Boston Elizabeth Bacon Custer, founder of the New York Exchange for Women's Work Abby Morton Diaz, founder of the Women's Educational and Industrial Union, Boston Julia Ward Howe, founder of the Women's Educational and Industrial Union, Boston Grace Carew Sheldon, founder of the Woman's Exchange, Buffalo Candace Wheeler, founder of the New York Exchange for Women's Work
See also Sarasota Woman's Exchange (founded 1962)
References